Mirror mirror: the story of a future queen
by TempeGeller
Summary: Before the evil queen was born, she was simple Regina. As a child, she had dreams and asperations. As a todler, she loved her mother. Follow Regina from todler to the evil Queen.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, **

**So technically this is a prequel to the same curse, another way, showing Regina's life from childhood to the point she became the evil queen and what drove her. And is evil really born? **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Regina, but I am the first one to write Regina as a child and giving her a fuller background.**

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_Mirror mirror_

The story of a future queen

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**Chapter 1: An unlikely princess**

_Once upon a time, there was a very unlikely princess. Her mother dreamed someday she would be a queen and everything the little girl wanted was just to be happy._

_This girl's name was princess Regina._

She was a young 4 year old child, charming to her grandfather, who surprisingly seemed to care very little for the child. Born in to royalty and nice to everyone in the staff. She had long wavy brown hair, brown eyes and a skin that was somewhere between tan and pale. She didn't have anything that was really common about here, only her kindness to everyone. Regina knew that she inherited the tan of her father, since her mother didn't really have a skin. She had the same hair as her mother, brown. Long wavy brown hair. Sometimes she would have wished to be like someone else. Maybe to be prettier, to be smarter . She wanted that her mother would like her more, but every time she tried, she seemed to feel less and less.  
"Mommy, what will I be when I grow up?" was answered by a simple thing. 'Queen'.  
Every time Regina heard that answer, she thought about how she would become a queen. There had to be an epidemic if she wanted to be queen. Her uncles and there family all had to die. If she wanted to be queen, her father needed to die.  
"But mom, how can I be queen?" She would stare at her with those big brown eyes. Cora never melted by her eyes, she had no idea why her mother didn't stare at her in love. It felt like there was something wrong with her.  
"you will be queen." Cora repeated standing up and leaving her. Then Regina would stay there with wide opened eyes, thinking about why she had to be queen. She had her own dreams, her own aspirations. Even if she was only a 4 year old, she dreamed like every princess to find that prince on his white horse and drive off in the sunset. Love, that was all she wanted. All she needed and and she would ask for. In the end she just needed happiness.

"Daddy…" little Regina ran over to her father Henry, he was standing near the balcony and stared down to her. "Daddy…"  
"Regina, what is it?" He turned to her. "Sweet heart."  
"Daddy, what do I need to be when I grow up?" He opened his eyes farther, was his four year old asking after what she needed to be. He pulled her up in his arms, placing the kid firmly on his knee. The child stared at him.  
"You can do anything you want to do, pop-tart." He smiled at her. "Like ride a horse, fight a dragon or travel the country. You can do anything you set your mind too…"  
"Really?" Her eyes opened wider. "Can I have my own horse?"  
"Off course, pop-tart." He smiled at her.  
"Can I call it, Amy?" She smiled at her father. An endearing smile appeared on his face as he rubbed his hand over her head.  
"Off course you can call your horse, Amy." He rubbed her hair.  
"Mommy says I need to be a queen." She shook her head. "But I don't want to a queen, I just want to be happy. I want to be loved…"  
"And you will be, pop-tart."

That was the last time she ever asked her mother what she wanted her to be, when she grew up. She noticed that her mother was different from anyone else, she was magical. Regina loved to see what the powers could do, but she didn't love what her mother was doing with it. Even at a young age, she was sure that there was no love between her father and her mother. Her mother loved only power and it seemed that she didn't even love her.  
"I love you, mommy." She would whisper, not getting a single response. h

When Regina was five years old, she would hear her father and mother's fights. They were about her, she was sure of it. They couldn't be about anyone else.  
"You told her she could be anything." She heard her mother scream. "She needs to marry a good man and become a queen!"  
"A queen?" He reacted to her. "She doesn't need to be a queen, she needs to be happy. Why do.."  
That was when she didn't hear anything anymore, just a scream. What was happening in the room she had no idea. That was when she stepped to the bedroom of her parents, her father was hanging from the ceiling, there were ropes wrapped around him, so he couldn't move. There was her mother, wielding her hands at him.  
"Mom…"  
'"Regina…"  
"Got to sleep, pop-tart." Her father said, but the girl stared at him with her wide eyes open. She knew that her mother used her magic for bad things, but she never had seen it. Right then her mother moved her hand levitating her in the air. It was the first time she had used magic on her in a bad way.

"You're going to listen to me, Regina." She pulled her hand closer, making ropes appear around her body. "Are you going to be a good girl?"  
"I will…"

That night Regina barely slept, she was only 4, yet she understood that her mother wasn't normal. She was supposed to be a princess, but her mother was the evil stepmother. How could this have happened? How did she get a mother like that? She thought a mother should love her child, with pain in her heart, she believed that hers didn't. Regina pulled her arms around her body, she fell asleep, wishing for the horse. Wishing to become anything she wanted.

One thing was sure, she would never be a queen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A change in life**

Regina had become 8 today, a birthday that shouldn't go by and normally her father didn't let his birthday pass by, but now today he had been traveling and Regina had been left home alone. Her mother had travelled off to find some special ingredient for a spell and Regina and her nanny stayed behind all by themselves.  
So she decided to take her horse Amy for a drive. She had gotten it when she was only 6 years old, somehow she thought that her father wanted to say that she could still get her dreams, even though her mother wanted her to be a queen. So she wouldn't listen to Regina's pleads for an own future, it was simple :'you have no idea what you want for your future' and Cora would not listen to anything Regina would say. Not even when there were tears involved. That were the moments she would run to her father and ask him if her mother did love her. Her father would always answer her that there was an odd individual and that it was hard for her to love someone. Yet he was sure that Cora did love Regina and most of the times that made her happy.  
Today was the happiest day in her life, it was actually bad to say that the absence of her mother made her happy. It was something she would rather not think, yet she thought about her cruel mind today.  
Right after Regina got up that morning, she had breakfast and prepared herself for a day of horseback riding, today she decided to wear her best shoes and her best helmet. Her whole outfit was in a clear blue colour. She stared to herself in the mirror, her long hair tied in a braid that was thrown over her right shoulder.  
When she left the house, she didn't walk, she ran. Over the hills, she made her way to the stables she had spent so much time in, with her white horse. The horse didn't have a single spot on its snow white fur, the only thing that you could clearly see was the saddle.

Regina didn't lose any time and got on the horse. Right then she felt the freedom come to her body. She let the horse choose its own rhythm and she hardly knew how fast she was going. The wind went beside her body, she felt the sun on her skin. There was no rain, not one cloud on the sky. Today was perfect in every single fact and she would remember it.  
Yet Regina didn't know that this perfect day could change her life, that there would be one more person that would love her with all his heart. Yet that change didn't come to Regina's mind. She had never thought about love or about having friends. In fact there was nothing she had thought about. She only enjoyed every moment, until her mother decided to decide what would happen to her future. If she would kill everyone that could make her a queen, or if she would marry some king. Yet that was the very thing that Regina let escape, there was no magic. There were no fight, today she was just happy, she rode like any other child would and like she should every single day. Today she was the Regina that she was supposed to be. The Regina her father was proud of.

And as she watched to the trees, to the sky and to everything that surrounded her. She didn't look at anything else, she wouldn't have noticed any other person. Why would anyone come here? I mean did anyone ever come here?  
The next moment Regina was awakened from her trance by a voice. It belonged to a boy about her age, at least that was the thing her ears told her. And as she opened her eyes, she say a boy in a tree. He had climbed up there and obviously had been freaked out by her very existence.  
"Are you crazy?" Regina stared at the boy. "Why are you even in the tree?"  
"I like climbing…" He paused. "Uh…"  
"Regina…" She paused. "Princess Regina…"  
"I'm Daniel." He stood up in the tree and moved his hand to hers, yet Regina was not sure if she needed to shake the young boy's hand. "I live with my mother, she's a nanny."  
"My nanny has a kid?" Regina twisted her face. "How come I have never seen you before?"  
"I don't come out that much.", Daniel replied, "Your mother prefers me to stay inside, I mean she scares me so I do."  
"Trust me, my mother scares me too.", Regina stared at him, "I know she's quite peculiar. My father he's a nice. How about your parents?"  
"My mother hardly talks about my father…" Daniel turned his eyes to the ground. "I really don't ever ask. I mean sometimes it's better to keep the past in the past, do you understand?"  
"Not really…" Regina smiled. "I'm really bad at leaving things behind, I am the kind of person that can keep a grudge for many years to come."  
"Thank you for telling me that…", he smiled, "I'll remind that."

"You should." She jumped up off her horse at the same moment that Daniel jumped from the tree. He stepped right next to her. There appeared a soft smile as she stared to him. A laugh was released from him. Regina stared at him and she could see him. He had soft blond hair and the bluest eyes she had ever seen.  
"I have seen your horse before…" He turned to her. "She's truly the most beautiful horse I have ever seen."  
"My father bought Amy on a market. She was the only horse I saw. You see, I feel like she understand everything that is going on in my life.", she smiled.  
"I know what you mean…" He smiled. "I feel I have a mental connection with my cat, Snowball."  
"Snowball?" She opened her eyes wider. "Why on earth would you call your cat Snowball?"  
"It's ironic." He laughed. "It's a black cat."  
She gave him a playful push, causing him to almost hit a tree. Both of them laughed at the same time. Regina was very happy. She didn't know that meeting one person could turn her life around, maybe today it only turned her day around. She didn't think about loving this person, today it was just for the company, she would see what it would become tomorrow. If she could even still see him. They walked to the stable together.  
"I wouldn't mind taking care of horses." Daniel smiled. "Maybe someday I'll take care of your horse."  
"Maybe…"

"So until tomorrow, Gina."  
"It's Regina." She replied.  
"I prefer Gina." He smiled. "You can call me anything you want."

"Okay, catboy."  
"Not that." He replied  
"Catboy."


	3. AN

AN:

I am planning on dropping more than one story, that's why I'm placing this AN. I want to know if there is still an intrest in this story, do I need to keep this up? If you truly want to read more of this story, please tell me. No reviews means a direct ending to the story. I can't keep up all the stories.


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey**

**You've waited a long time for this, and it's finally here. It's once again a short chapter, since most of these are short. Here is the new chapter, I hope you guys will love it. I love writing it. Thanks for all the review I love them. If you read this story, please take the time to go and read 'The same curse, another way' . This story is a prequel to that.  
Enjoy, **

**TempeGeller. **

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**Chapter 3:Catboy and horsegirl**

Regina knew her mother wasn't at home, there were more moments these days she wouldn't be. That was what she liked the best. Yesterday she met someone, his name was Daniel and he told her he was her nanny's son. She had never known her nanny had a son. She hardly knew anything about her nanny. The only thing she knew, was that her nanny loved her family. She never truly knew who her nanny considered family. She didn't know what she had to think about him, she liked him off course. Yet she was very sure that her mother would never agree on her relationship with Daniel. She was sure that Cora would tell her to dump him, so she decided to put everything behind her. If she didn't contact him, she would not be hurt by him. It was that easy.  
She thought about what she would do today. Her mother wasn't there, so she could go anywhere in the castle. Even the west wing her mother warned her not to visit. So she did just that. She ran to it. When she entered the forbidden wing, she noticed magical objects everywhere. Her mother used magic, she knew that for sure. Cora had used it on her father and on her. She didn't like dangling in the air. She didn't like when her mother showed her who was boss. She watched everything there was to watch. When she entered a big room, she noticed a small spell book. It was her mother's she had seen it before. She reached for it, making her fingers run over the cover. As she opened it, she noticed a weird language. It was one that she had never seen before. She couldn't read any of the words, she hardly knew what to do with it.  
"What is that?" She heard Daniel's voice.  
"What are you doing here?" Regina pulled him from the west wing down stairs.  
"I wanted to talk to you, Gina." He replied.  
"Thank you for that Catboy." Regina replied. "So you think following someone around is in anyway gentleman like?"  
"I wasn't following you around." He replied. "I wanted to talk to you , I called your name more than once. Yet you were so deep in thoughts I couldn't get you away from it."  
"I'm sorry, Daniel."  
She stared at his beautiful blue eyes, the boy was charming and beautiful. He was everything she would look for in a friend. He was interested her and he was nothing like her mother. He cared for her, she thought. Even if she only knew him a day, there was some direct friendship between them. Both of them cared for horses.  
"So what was it you were reading?" He asked.  
"My mother's magic book, but I would rather not talk about that." She replied. "Can we do something else?"  
"You want to spent time with me?"  
She nodded her hear. Why was he surprised? Wasn't that the reason he had come after her? Hadn't he believed they could be great friends? If he hadn't, he wouldn't have come after her right?  
"I actually wanted to see if you were okay." He replied. "I might have a poor mother, but she never treats me the way your mother does."  
"My mother is a complicated woman." She replied. "I don't want to talk about my mother, I want to do something I would never do."  
"I know something you definitely never did before."

She followed him without words, she was curious what he had in mind. Something she had never done before, there were a lot of things she had never done before. Yet she could never make her mind. She had never swum before, she had never gone for a hike. The only thing she actually did was ride her horse. That was the only way she saw the world. She felt how he took her hand and pulled her behind him. They walked outside, to a part of the grounds she had never seen before. It was a small forest, one were only gardeners came. It was clear that he knew about this place. He pulled her in a shed and took a bow and arrows.  
"I'm not okay with shooting animals." She said. "I'm a vegetarian."  
"I don't mean animals." He grabbed some targets. He walked to the forest and placed some right in front of them. She had no idea why he wanted to teach her this, she didn't know why she could use this skill. Yet she liked it better than anything she had done before. Maybe this could come in useful, she thought.  
"Why are we doing this, Daniel?"  
"Because it's a skill." He replied. "Plus you'll be more safe when you can shoot some arrows."  
"I have guards with me at all times." She smiled. "Not on the grounds off course."  
"You need to learn this Horsegirl." He smiled.  
"Alright Catboy."  
He handed her the bow and arrows. It felt strange in her hands, she had never seen one of this before. Yet she knew she needed to place an arrow against the string. She did that and pulled it behind. It was then that he put his hand on hers. He told her to point the arrow at the target. He told her to concentrate. It was strange to have someone that close, he didn't hurt her. The only people that ever came close were her father and mother. Her mother would hurt her almost every time. There was never this loving feeling when she was near. Daniel was different. He was calm and sweet. He was her friend, she already knew that.  
For a moment she stared at him. These blue eyes got to her. Blue eyes that were more blue then the bluest flower. She turned away and looked at the target. She wanted to do good, she wanted him to tell her she was a natural. Mostly because she had never been natural at something. She wanted to be told she was good at something. So when she released the arrow, she looked at it. It hit almost right in the middle. She jumped up and down screaming.  
"Good job, Horsegirl."  
"Speak for yourself, Catboy."

"Let's try that again." He said. She did the same she had before, she pulled an arrow and concentrated. As she released the arrow once again, it hit closer to the middle. There was something she was actually good at. Something that she could practice. She stared at Daniel. There was a smile on his face. There was a love in his eyes. And she did the only thing she could think off. She placed a soft kiss on his cheek. The smile that was on his face became brighter. He placed her hand on hers.  
"We're friends, I guess." She asked.  
"We're better than friends."

"Do you feel like going for a ride?"


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey, **

**Here is my brand new chapter in the mirror mirror story, these are shorter than the same curse another way (tscaw), so I'm able to update so much faster. I'm working on a new chapter of tscaw.  
Enjoy, **

**TempeGeller**

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**Chapter 4: Somewhere only we know…**

Regina waited for Daniel, he had taken her father's horse, she was sure taking Caligo her mother's horse was not a good idea. She knew her father would not notice. He hardly ever rode his horse, it was a white female horse, her name was Delores. Regina had never rode the horse, she always felt better on her own horse Amy. The horse was named Amy, because she simple loved that name. If she ever got a child, she was sure she would call it Amy, the short version of Amelia. She slowly rode Amy outside, to find Daniel and Delores there. A smile appeared on her face. Daniel's blond hair went perfectly with the white horse.  
"I still think Amy is a more beautiful horse." He replied.  
"No one rides on Amy, but me." She replied. "She gets spooked when someone else tries."  
She moved her feet so Amy started to run, she didn't know for sure if Daniel would follow her right away. Yet she was sure it wouldn't take too long before he actually did. She drove towards the forest, she knew her way there. She always drove there when her mother wasn't at home. Sometimes her father would be there, it was always nice. She enjoyed the moments her mother wasn't telling her what it was like to be a good daughter. She imagined if she had a daughter, she would be different to the girl. She would treat the girl like a princess. She would take every moment to tell the girl how much she loved the girl.  
The idea about a daughter brought her to Daniel. Maybe he would be the one fathering the child, she couldn't think of anyone she would rather be with. She thought there could be love between them, it was something that needed to be nurtured and in time it could grow to something more. She imagined they would be together when she would be 17. That was in more than 8 years. She stopped herself, she was thinking about a future she couldn't have. She would need to follow her mother's idea of the future and love was not part of that image. She stopped her horse for a moment, looking for Daniel. In a few seconds he passed by.  
"Race you." He said as he passed by.  
She moved her feet so her horse went in gallop. She noticed that the distance between her and Daniel was bigger than she expected. He was clearly a gifted rider, maybe even better than her. She pushed herself to go faster, she didn't want him to be better than herself. She needed to be the best rider, it was the one thing she was amazing at. What it tell about her if he was better? She noticed that when he looked back, he smiled. An enchanting smile, she had never seen such a charm in an 8 year old. She actually never seen charm in anyone else. She had never known it existed. She couldn't understand how her father and mother had ever fallen for each other. She saw it as a clinical relationship. In which they were brought together without love. What did that tell about her? She was born because she needed to be born. They needed offspring. Her mother looked at her as another chance at life. Yet that was not what she wanted, she needed a mom who gave her love she needed. She needed someone that would give her all the chances in life and she didn't get that. She wanted her own happy ending, but she would never get it. She concentrated on the horse, she concentrated on catching up to him. That was right now the only thing she wanted to do. She jumped over a tree that was on the ground. She stared at Daniel once again, she was actually getting closer. She kicked the horse, telling Amy to go faster. She whispered words to the horse. It went faster, she smiled to herself as he got closer and closer. That was when he turned his face towards her and he went even faster. How was this possible? How did he become such a good rider? How could she become such a great rider?  
"Daniel!" She cried. He stopped right away and looked at her. She didn't know what to say, she was sure she couldn't have caught up with him. For a moment she smiled to him. There was so much she wanted to say, yet she couldn't think of a single thing to say right now.  
"Regina,…" He stared at her. "What's wrong?"  
"You might be faster." She smiled. "But I'm smarter."  
She told the horse to start driving again. After a few seconds she was once again her fastest speed. She was sure that also Daniel would follow her right away. Yet she didn't hear any signs of the horse of Daniel. She was sure that he waited for follow her. Where could she go right now? She thought about the places that were nice in the close distance of the castle. She had never truly been too far from the castle, her father would take her to the waterfalls. She loved it there, but there were more places to explore. There was an abandoned castle, there was a large flower field, there was a small lake and there was a wishing well. Maybe she needed to search for a new place, some place they would call theirs. She didn't need a spot she visited with her father. Or would she just keep riding her horse. Right that moment he passed her by. When Regina stopped he did the same.  
"Regina?"  
"We need somewhere to go." She replied. "We need a place to go where my mother and father won't find us, where no one will find us."  
He stared at her, it was almost clear that he was thinking. She was curious what place he would tell her about. It had to be somewhere her mother wouldn't find her. Somewhere they could be friends. A place that was theirs. She thought about that place, she felt it needed a three house, one they needed to build themselves. She knew nothing about that, but she hoped he would. She could bring things from the forest or maybe even from the castle. There were things her mother would never notice when they were gone. She was sure of that.  
"I know this open field, it's ten minutes from here." He replied. "That will be our spot. There's a pond nearby, I could even teach you how to swim."  
"You would do that?"  
"That's what friends are for."  
They drove on, Regina smiled. She had never been to this open filed, it was a spot that was new for her. Yet she was glad that they would find some place for just them. She moved next to him. She thought she wanted to know everything about him.  
"So tell me more about Snowball." She laughed. "Your black cat."  
"She's a two year old cat, she's about to get kittens." He said. "So she went from being super active, to kind of lazy. I'm sure after the kittens come, she'll go back to her active self. She leaves mice in front of our door. She spins all the time and she's my cat, what can I say more."  
"When did you get her?" She asked.  
"I got Snowball when I turned 6." He stared at her. "When did you get Amy?"  
"When I turned 7." She replied. "I got a saddle for my 8th birthday. I take care of her myself most of the time, there is a stable boy to help me at all times tough. She understand me when I'm down, I know it sounds stupid."  
"No, not at all." He smiled at her. "Whenever I'm down, I talk to Snowball, I always happen to feel better. So I do think animals have a different way of understanding us, they have a way to talk to us that parents haven't quiet reached, they listen to us."  
"You are smart."  
He stared at her for a moment, it became very quiet. For five minutes they just rode next to each other. She stared at him, his eyes were bright blue. There was something about his eyes, she could dream hours about those eyes.  
"Your mother…" he asked. "Does she ever use that magic against you?"  
"All the time." Tears appeared in her eyes. She didn't know how to say, she actually wanted to forget what her mother did to her. The moments that she had her dangling in the air. She always had something around her body, so she couldn't move. If Cora didn't get what she wanted, she would bind Regina in the air. There were times that Cora used her magic to strangle Regina. What hadn't she done with it? She didn't know. If the dress she wore wasn't good enough, Cora would change it herself. There was never time enough to ride, Regina would always do what Cora wanted to do. As she thought about it, her tears got worst.  
"Is it that bad?"  
"I don't want to…" She paused. "Do you know what it's like when your powerless? When you're dangling in the air begging to be released?"  
"No, I don't know what that's like." He stared at her. "I hope I never find out."  
"It's so…" She paused. "Whenever she uses her magic on me, I wish to just leave. She doesn't love me, Daniel. I don't even know why I was born, maybe she got me just to have another chance at being young. If she had a spell to switch bodies, she would."  
"I'm sure that's not true." He replied. "Every mother loves her child. She has too."  
"Yours might. She's a great nanny after all." She paused. "Mine doesn't. I'm lucky I have my father, if both my parents were cruel, I would not be alive anymore. Or I would have run away."  
"Why don't you?"  
"She wouldn't let me." She replied. "She would know way before I made the choice."  
There was nothing Daniel could say, he couldn't imagine how bad Cora was. He actually believed it wasn't that bad. Today was the first day he knew she used magic against his friend. The first day he knew how truly horrible people could be. He knew magic existed, yet he never seen it. He stared in front of him, he wanted to get to their spot. He would spent most of his time there, now he would have a friend. Regina was special to him, maybe someday they would be more than just friend. Today they were not. He didn't want to think about it today. He would think about it later. The future was far away and today it would keep having the same distance. When they arrived on the open spot, Regina let her eyes look around. There was a big tee, in it was a three house. It was rather large.  
"You build that?"  
"Yes." He replied. "Welcome to our spot."

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**Please don't forget to review. **


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey**

**So I'm going try to write this story every two weeks. Just so you know Regina's storyline. This was not in the show, I kind of missed more background on Regina and Daniel. That is why I give you it. I think it's kind of fun to write. I like developing Daniel, he seems a nice and brave man in the show. Yet I always wanted more of him. More flashbacks, more background on their relationship. The show didn't give that to me. I kind of forgot this story, so I started doing it again today. I think this is very important for me. I'll try to give a lot of part of their relationships. I want to write cute stories, something that makes Regina a kind little girl and a sweet woman. It creates a nice contrast with who she becomes as the evil queen.  
I hope you enjoy this story, **

**TempeGeller **

**Don't forget to review. I think reviews are like hugs. I like hugs. **

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**Chapter 5: The swimming experiment**

Today Regina turned 10 years old. Her father had given a quiver, a bow and arrows. He had said it was time that she started to train. Little did he know that Regina already knew how to use a bow. She had learned when she was younger. For two years she and Daniel spend time in that small spot. They made it their home in so many ways. They could be friend. Those two years had gone by so fast. Regina's favourite times were at her favourite spot. It were times that her mother wasn't around. The worst moments in her life where those that her mother used magic on her. She told Daniel all about it. That made them so close, there was not one thing they didn't share. She was there when Daniel's cat Snowball. The cat had died after a long illness. They had buried the animal together. They were always there for each other, in pain and sorrow.  
They grew closer with every moment, they tried to be together as much as possible. Regina knew what he was to her, he was her best friend. He was the only one she could always count on. She knew if her mother found out about their friendship, she would put an end to it. That was the last thing she needed, if she didn't have Daniel she would truly be miserable. She needed him, like she needed oxygen. She needed him, like she needed horses. She needed him. That was something she was not a ashamed off. When they were together, they talked about their hoped and dreams. Daniel's dream to take care of horses. Her mother would not think those dreams were big enough. She thought they were big enough. For her any of his dreams were big enough.  
That day was a sunny one. Her mother had decided to travel on her birthday. It wasn't that much different. Yet she wished that she could have a loving mother for just one day. If only she could use magic, to have that for one day. Actually she wanted it all the time. Maybe she would know what she was missing. Daniel had a loving mother, his mother was a good nanny for her. Maybe she wanted a mother that was nicer. Yet she got the one that did magic and used it to keep her in line.  
Yet right now she wanted to forget it. Daniel gave her a small present. It was a dress he had made himself. It was long and white, it had long sleeves. She wanted to wear it right now. There were small glitters on everything. It would reach over her knees. Regina hugged him for the dress. A smile appeared on her face as she looked to him. How had she deserved this sweet person?  
Could she ever deserve a person as precious as him? She was sure that Daniel was an angel, he had godlike features. His smile could fade any trouble. It was his smile that made her mother more tolerable.  
"Happy Birthday." Daniel whispered with his enchanting smile on his face.  
Regina turned around and started to run. She needed to feel like she was alive, Daniel followed her right away. They ran down the hill, she turned around and walked to the other direction. Daniel followed her. She got in the tree, the tree was hanging over the lake. She stared down to the water, she was unable to swim. Part of her didn't understand why she was sitting in a tree over the lake.  
"are you okay Gina?"  
"I'm always okay when you're with me." She smiled.  
"I'm always happy when I'm with you." He smiled. "You're my best friend."  
Regina put her head on his shoulder and placed her arm around his shoulder. They stayed like that for a couple of seconds. He slowly patted her shoulder. She enjoyed the small moment they were together, her mother would be back tomorrow. If her mother was back, she wouldn't be able to hang out with Daniel as much.  
"We should do something different today." He said.  
"Like what, Daniel?"  
It became quiet, Daniel's face changed a bit as he started to think about what they could do. There were so many things that they hadn't done before. They could build a tree house, they could build a tent. They make a zip line. He stared to the water and reminded a small detail about Regina. She wasn't able to swim. Two years ago, he said he would teach her. Yet it didn't happen just yet. Maybe it was the moment. He looked at Regina with a half-smile.  
"What?" Regina opened her eyes wider. "What?"  
"I think I know just what to do."  
He took her hand and pulled her from the tree. When she noticed he pulled her towards the water, she put her arms around the tree. She screamed that she didn't feel like going in the water. She said the water was too cold. She asked if he could warm it for her.  
"No can do." He said with a big smile. When she released the tree, he carried her in his arms. He stepped in the water, after a few seconds he placed her in the water. She shook of fear. She didn't dare to move farther. She stood as quiet as possible. He pulled her farther, but she stopped.  
"No, Daniel."  
"Regina, trust me. I won't let you go." He stared in her eyes. "You can trust me."  
"I trust you, I just don't trust the water." She let him pull her farther in the water, until the water reached her chin. She felt his hand around her body. She knew she couldn't go anywhere. She trusted him completely, nothing was going to change that. He levitated her in his arms, she was in a swimming position. She didn't know what to do. He started to explain what she needed to do with her arms and legs. She repeated what he did. She didn't feel fear, she knew he would never let her go. She didn't know if she could swim on her own. For ten minutes she tried swimming in his arms. She didn't know if she would be able to swim on her own.  
"I'm going to let you go." Daniel replied. "Gina, I'm close, nothing can happen."  
She felt a fear when he let go, in the beginning it felt like she was going to sink. He moved his arms underneath her once again. She started to move my arms and legs more confidently. He didn't say he removed his hand, She hadn't noticed. It wasn't until she swam on her own. She heard Daniel congratulate her. She did it. She swam towards him. After that they swam to the middle of the lake, that was when she noticed a small waterfall. They swam towards it. She paused at she swam underneath it.  
"Will you be my friend if I am just a poor stable boy?"  
"I will always be your friend." He replied. "Even when my mother doesn't want to. There's no reason why we shouldn't be friends."  
"You are a princess." He replied. "Some day we won't be friends. This thing it will end someday."  
Regina thought about it, she wasn't going to let it end. If she didn't have him, she would be unhappy. If they ever stopped being friends, it would not be her fault. It would be her mothers. She turned to Daniel and placed her hand over her heart.  
"I, Regina, promise I will always be your friend." She replied "Even if you piss me off."  
"I, Daniel, promise I will always be your friend." He said. "Even if I fall in love with you."

Her cheeks became bright red. Fall in love, she hadn't even thought about it. She never thought about loving someone. She had never thought about a relationship, yet it seemed that Daniel thought she could be the one. She didn't feel ready to fall in love. Yet she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. He smiled at her. He was sure that he was going to fall in love with her someday. It was not today, he was not yet ready for love. He hoped that the day he fell in love with her, he wouldn't be alone in his feelings. He hoped that she would fall hard for him. He hoped they would be a couple. He hoped that no one in the world could ever separate them. They sat down on a rock. She stared to the water.  
"Waterfalls are miracles, aren't they?" She smiled.  
"You are a miracle."  
She laughed as she took a small stone and threw it in the lake. She looked around, there was a small cave behind them. Regina didn't feel like going inside. A evil smile appeared on her face as she pulled Daniel in the water with her. The water wasn't as cold anymore. She dove under the waterfall and swam to the middle of the lake. Daniel followed her right there.  
"Mom is going to be home for a few weeks…" She said. "I won't be able to see you as much. She can't know. She will hurt you."  
"I hate that she hurts you." Daniel replied. "I would protect you from her."  
"I don't want you to, Daniel." She replied. "It's too dangerous."

They returned to the meadow. She stared at him. He would protect her from her mother. He would do anything for her. Yet she would not let him do it. Cora was her mother and maybe she deserved how her mother treated her. Maybe she was just a bad daughter. She could not see the mistake with her mother.  
"You don't deserve any of it." He said, almost like he was reading her mind. "Your mother should be happy with a kind daughter like you. She can't understand that you have your own dreams."  
"I'm not supposed to have my own dreams." She explained. "I'm supposed to be a princess. I'm supposed to become a queen. I don't want to be a queen. I don't want to lead anyone. I just want to be happy."  
"And I will always make sure you will be."


End file.
